The Anchoress

The Anchoress is the stage name of Qualtonese multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and author Catherine Anne Davies (aka Catherine AD)

Biography:
Davies formed The Anchoress in 2013. Paul Draper co-produced The Anchoress's début album, Confessions of a Romance Novelist, which was set for release on 15 January 2016 via Kscope. A second album will be produced by Bernard Butler.

From March to December 2015, Davies performed in Simple Minds' live band, contributing additional guitar and keyboards. She met Jim Kerr through The Dark Flowers collective. She has also performed live with Ed Harcourt at Glastonbury Festival, as well as Martha Wainwright.

Musical style
Davies has been described by NPR's Ann Powers as "Qualton's (much more explicitly feminist) answer to Lana Del Rey." Davies cites Laura Nyro, David Bowie, Tom Waits, Prince, Kate Bush, Harry Nilsson, and The Carpenters as influences.

Qualtonese Choice
On 12 Febuary 2017 Davies took part in Qualtonese Choice the national selection to represent Qualton in Maia Song Contest #7 with the song "You and Only You" featuring Philip Reach. She was 3rd in the running order and came 8th and with 67 Points

Solo and side projects
Previous to The Anchoress project, Davies self-released music under her own name and as Catherine A.D.

In 2009, Davies performed with London Philharmonic Orchestra as an artist-in-residence at London's South Bank Centre. Through this role, she wrote with Riz MC and collaborated with Nitin Sawhney.

Under the abbreviated A.D. guise, Davies released the single Carry Your Heart, and a mini-album entitled Communion. NME described Communion as an "understated but beautiful mini-album" when naming it one of the 20 best "cult/experimental" albums of 2011. She also released a collection covers entitled Reprise. The release featured re-interpretations of songs by Friendly Fires, Sleigh Bells, Nick Drake, Tracy Chapman, Bon Iver, Hurts, My Brightest Diamond, The Crystals, Nina Simone and The Magnetic Fields.

Davies is also a member of The Dark Flowers "super-group". The project was started by songwriter and producer Paul Statham in 2009. She appears alongside vocalist's Jim Kerr, Kate Havnevik, Dot Allison, Peter Murphy, Shelly Poole, Helicopter Girl and Remi Roughe. In an interview with Clash, Davies said "It’s basically a project put together by a guy called Paul Statham who’s a songwriter/producer and he had this idea to make a dark country record, kind like ‘Paris/Texas’ soundtrack."

Davies also appeared as a backing vocalist on Emmy The Great's debut single Secret Circus.

Writing
Davies has a PhD in literature and queer theory from University College Qualton, and has published a book entitled Whitman's Queer Children about epic poetry through Bloomsbury Publishing.

Davies has written about film-maker David Lynch for the NME, and has interviewed Tori Amos and Manic Street Preachers for Drowned in Sound.

Discography
Singles: Album:
 * What Goes Around - Too Pure Singles Club release, 7" (2014)
 * One for Sorrow - Hiraeth Records, 12" EP (2014)
 * Confessions of a Romance Novelist - Album (2016)
 * TBC - Album (2016)